>>The new Testament church is not excluded from Satan's crafty tricks. The Apostle Paul warns us in 1CO 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

>>Every descendant of Adam's fallen race is exposed to the wiles, i.e., "the sly tricks--beguiling trickery--to lure away by confusion," of the devil.

>>GEN 3:1 teaches that Satan appeared in the form of a serpent because, "The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field."

>>Every individual must be ware of these sly tricks recorded in Holy Writ which Satan most commonly uses, to escape being lured away by his flood of mass confusion.

>>Satan's first trick in Eden, which is still most common today, was to cast doubt upon the authority of God's Word. GEN 3:4-5 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

>>Satan's principle taught in Eden, which is most common today are against God's goodness, teaching that His restrictions are unkind.

>>Satan encouraged rebellion against God with a lie saying, GEN 3:1-7 "Ye shall not surely die, [assuring that man would]

>>This principle of freedom from all God's restrictions would enable them to decide for themselves what was right or wrong.

>>As Satan's lawful captives, men who hold and teach these broad principles are the authors of the flood of mass confusion in the world today.

>>To escape these wiles of the devil, we must learn to recognize the easy or ready objects he uses for his attacks.

>> In Eden the tree was this object.

>>Satan's ambush was laid by the general manner in which he posed his question using God's Word out of context.

>>Satan's question in GEN 3:1, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" made reference to every tree in the garden.

>>See how Satan used God's Word out of context; God's restriction was not to all the trees, but a particular tree, GEN 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

>>Satan's broad general approach was to avoid suspicion of his motive.

>>Satan's second manner of approach is a negative one. "Yea, hath God said."

>>He engaged his victim in a dialogue wherein a suspicion could be cast against God's Word, goodness, character and integrity.

>>Immediately upon gaining control of the human reasoning through dialogue with his victim, Satan zeros in on his target.

>>When Eve answered that they could eat of all the trees of the garden except one, then the devil suddenly zeroed in on just that one tree.

>>Satan "Changed the truth of God into a lie,"

>>Satan said in, GEN 3:4-5 "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." We read in, ROM 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

>>God leaves men over unto themselves to work that which is unseemly for changing His truth into a lie. ROM 1:24-25 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

>>The forbidden tree was in plain sight, "in the midst of the garden," GEN 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Through Eve's dialogue with the devil, through her human reasoning she believed his lie, and now it became the object of lust. GEN 3:6 says, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

>>Oh, beloved, you can never have a dialogue with the devil and win.

>>Even Michael the archangel in JUD 9, "when contending with the devil...durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."

>>Satan is the strong man spoken of in LUK 11:21, When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

>>Thanks be unto God there is a stronger than he, the Lord Jesus Christ our heavenly High Priest, HEB 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

>>Having been tempted of the devil in all things even as we, He knows all his devises and is able to deliver us from Satan and all his wiles.

>>Isaiah spoke of this salvation in Christ in a prophetic way when he said in, ISA 49:24-25 "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children."

>>When we have our faith's eye on our Blessed Substitute, rebellion is broken in our hearts and Satan must go. JAM 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

>>Beloved, Scripture teaches repeatedly that when we become strong in our own faith we give occasion to the devil. 1CO 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

>>When we are in our right place we can say with the Hymn writer: I need Thee every hour, Stay Thou near by; Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh. I need Thee, O I need Thee, Ev-'ry hour I need Thee! O bless me now, my Saviour- I come to Thee.

>>We must be ware of Satan's occasions which he uses to snare us. As with Eve he sought an occasion when he found her alone, away from under the umbrella of her husband's protection.

>>Whenever the bride of Christ is near Him feeling her need of her Heavenly Bridegroom, Satan can only flee apace.

>>One of Satan's most common ambushes is a feeling of independence.

>>As our text says, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

>>Peter thought he could stand when he said in, MAT 26:33 "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

>>When Peter came to where he thought he could stand is when he became ripe for Satan's attack. That was when Jesus withdrew His restraining grace and told Peter in, LUK 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

>>Another one of Satan's prime occasions for temptation is idle time.

>>When we find ourselves unoccupied is most often when we begin to entertain a dialogue with the devil, i.e., our hearts begin to entertain evil thoughts.

>>David should have been out with his army, but he tarried at home and became unoccupied. That was Satan's occasion for temptation. 2SA 11:2 says, "And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon."

>>This shows that David had been idle the whole day! He arose from his bed in the evening. In his idleness he had a roaming eye and lust became his snare.

>>The woman was the object Satan used to draw David into a dialogue. If David had not entertained Satan at this point with those evil lustful thoughts, Satan's snare would have been broken.

>>Let's consider Satan's devices.

>>We are called upon to search the Scriptures 2CO 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

>>The apostle Paul teaches a very important principle where he taught the importance of not being "ignorant of [Satan's] devices."

>>Satan's first victory over man was by perverting God's Holy Word, and he deceives his millions for hell by deceit today. COL2:8 warns us, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men..."

>>Where do we learn to know Satan's devises? God's Word teaches Satan's crafty beguiling trickery, and we are responsible to search Scripture, so "...we are not ignorant of his devices."

>>God's Word teaches the basic principles of detecting the devils methods of deceit and attack, and how we may combat him.

>>We must never forget that the devil in GENESIS 3, is still the same devil today. He never changes, though he is now armed with centuries of practice.

>>If Satan was able to lay his ambush before man and beguile him in the state of perfection, how much more now in man's maimed condition!

>>The apostle warned us, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall," 1CO 10:12.

>>If Adam and Eve could not withstand Satan in their perfection, think how we need to heed the Apostle's admonition in, EPH 6:10-12 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord [Jesus Christ], and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day.

>>The Lord Jesus Christ, is our armour, to withstand Satan. ROM 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

>>Putting on Christ is putting off the lusts of the flesh. GAL 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

>>Being baptized into Christ is to be "buried with him" into death, and raised with Him to "walk in newness of life," ROM 6:4.

>>Our study of Satan's designs must be two-fold: first how he draws us into sin, and secondly how he troubles us for the sin he has drawn us into.

>>How does he draw us into sin? How did he draw Eve there? He picked a suitable object with which to pose his temptation--the tree.

>>As soon as Satan was able to engage Eve into a dialogue about his object of temptation, her eyes were fixed upon that tree with evil desires.

>>Then she saw with an evil eye, "That the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise," GEN 3:6.

>>Before a man is drawn into sin, he must behold the object: and then when his heart embraces it, he becomes Satan's victim of that sin. Jesus said in MAT 5:28, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

>>Satan's first device is to place mental objects before the minds eyes, and then focus his conversation, i.e., the thoughts and lusts of our hearts, around that object.

>>How must we come against such crafty devises? The great question is if you want to entertain him.

>>Entertaining those thoughts is entering into a dialogue with the devil. JAM 4:7-8 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."

>>When Scripture speaks about our conversation, it means that which traffics our minds as well as that which proceeds from our mouth. JAM 3:13-18 says, "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, [i.e., by letting it traffic your mind], glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."

>>Whenever Satan strikes up such a conversation in our hearts through, "...bitter envying and strife;" the only escape is to stop entertaining this dialogue with the devil and turn our eyes unto our blessed Redeemer. 2CO 2:10-11 says, "Forgive...it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

>>We must take our eyes off the object of Satan's devises and turn them unto the faith of Jesus Christ. As He hung upon the cross He said in,
Q. When God had set Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it, would they have had enough to eat without eating of the forbidden tree?
A. Yes they could eat of every tree of the Garden of Eden.

GEN 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Q. Why did Satan come in the form of a serpent to deceive Eve?
A. Because the serpent was more crafty, cunning, or wise than any other beast.

GEN 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Q. What does Jesus say about such craft when He sent His disciples out to preach the gospel?
A. In MAT 10:16 Jesus told them, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
Q. What lie did the serpent use to deceive Eve to get her to eat of the forbidden fruit?
A. We find his lie in GEN 3:4 where we read, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die."
Q. What further lie did the serpent use to convince Eve that God's restrictions were unkind?
A. In GEN 3:5 we read that the serpent said "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Q. Did God leave Adam and Eve to perish in their sin?
A. No God come seeking for Adam as we read in GEN 3:9 "And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?"
Q. Did Adam admit his fault and ask God to forgive him?
A. No he tried to put the blame on God and the woman as we see from GEN 3:12, "And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."
Q. Did the woman take the blame?
A. No. She blamed the serpent as we read in GEN 3:13, "And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."
Q. Where was the first gospel preached?
A. In GEN 3:15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."